A lovely story—set in Greenland and Provence—of one woman discovering herself and sorting out her dreams. Ilse translates novels, including from French to English despite never having set foot in France. She has steady work though she is a little lonely and still grieving the death of her beloved brother five years later. While translating a particularly tricky novel, Ilse gains some confidence and dares ask for a raise and a trip to France so she can work with her next author, a famous Provençal poet, in person. Ilse soon falls in love with everything about Provence and is enthralled by the poets words.

The writing was beautiful and helps readers picture Ilse’s remote hometown and lush Provence. There are some twists in Ilse’s story before it comes to a satisfying conclusion. Recommended to anyone looking for a cozy, life-affirming story of someone trying to figure out what home and happiness means to them.

Thank you very much to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This book is a enchanting trip to Provance France. The author writes atmospheric descriptions that have the reader able to imagine the lavender fields, the food and culture. The author captured my imagnation from the beginning to end. She writes beautifully of a young naive Greenland woman who is a translator. She has never ventured anywhere but her home and has a job in Provance to translate a book. Her senses, her life and her future take a unexpected turn as she explores Provance and all it has to offer her. Well done to the author. A book I highly recommend for your reading enjoyment. .

Thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own,

I felt this was beautifully written and lived the locale and premise it was a feel good escape kind of book

A Northern Light in Provence may be the first novel ever written about the work of a translator. Or it may just be the first one I have ever read. I found it fascinating. Birkelund not only makes the work translation clearly understandable, but she has a gift for describing geographical locations so beautifully that i found myself back in Provence in the spring, inhaling the odor of flowers and feeling the breeze, walking among the grapes of a vineyard.

Greenland, a misnomer for that island country for sure. It also becomes palpable, (though I've never been there).. This land of calving glaciers and months of darkness, an icy island in the frigid sea, and Ilse's house on stilts that sits on the edge of it, made me feel as if I had been there.

Ilse was influenced by a beloved French teacher and fell in love with the language. That explains why she translates French fiction (and poetry into English. She has never left Greenland until being hired by her publisher to translate the poetry of a "troubadour" from Provence. She forms a special, loving attachment to Po, this 70-year-old poet..

The time Ilse spends in Provence, the people she meets, the warmth she feels for the first time in her life enchanted me. Her characters are amazing, be they her Greenlander family and friends or the neighbors of Po's.

There are some hair-raising dangers Ilse faces in both places, (being lost in a strange country and falling into a sinkhole), as well as a decision about choices that move the book along. I enjoyed its atmosphere and ability to make me feel as if I had been visiting two very different climates and cultures. The book may not be fast-paced, but it is emotional and engrossing.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Beautiful prose, a soft love story, human connection; A Northern Light in Provence has all of that and more. Ilse, a native Greenlander, who works as a translator and has never left Greenland, longs for more in the world. Isle has never traveled outside of her comforting, yet cold, home of Greenland. So, to travel to Provencal France to help translate a work of poetry seems like a dream come true. Along the way she learns how to live, how to love, how to see things for what they are, and who she is.
Did I cry at the end of this book? Yes, and at points throughout it as well. I really cannot express how beautifully Birkelund writes, I was captured by her flow of sentences and story development. That said, there were moments in the book that felt rushed, too cliché, and a little fabricated. Though, this was not frequent. I think I did not enjoy the rush at which Po’s life changed, the character of Frey (although I see his value in story development), nor some of the choppiness of scene changes. Although this is definitely a, “me problem”, I did not necessarily enjoy the third person writing… Ilse’s name was mentioned too many times for my taste and it made me feel like I was watching her, not experiencing what she experienced. However, it could also be argued that this was a writing technique that was intended. Overall, I enjoyed my reading experience throughout and thought it was a beautifully curated book.



Would I Recommend: Yes, I would recommend this to most people who enjoy slow love stories, self-discovery, travel, and rich prose.

3.5 Stars

I absolutely loved this book! The premise is unique, and the book is written beautifully. The author brought both its locales to life. I found the descriptions of life in Greenland fascinating, and the contrast between Greenland and Provence was amazing in terms of both their people and environments. The author's use of language was exceptional. The plot had many twists and turns, and I couldn't put the book down. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book. I plan to read the author's previous books, and I look forward to the next. I highly recommend this book, and I think it would be an excellent choice for book discussion groups.

I thoroughly enjoyed this ARC from Goodreads. The main character is a 35 year old Innuit woman from Greenland who discovered her love of languages at an early age. She is a multi-lingual translator for a publishing company in France, but leads a very solitary life. She has a chance to work with a French poet in Provence and she takes it, opening herself up to all sorts of wonderful experiences and emotions.

I really liked the setting of this book and I quite liked the MC. It was heartfelt and touching, and I think it would make a good beach read.